A Diva's Courage
by ImmortalHeartofFlame
Summary: Daniel Bryan falls at the hands of the viper, Randy Orton. In his absence, the fire of rebellion in the locker room dies down, allowing Triple H and Stephanie to do as they please in the name of what's "best for business". When things get out of hand, Brie Bella takes it upon herself to try relighting the flame and standing up to the power couple from Hell.
1. Chapter 1

_Hello, WWE Fanfiction Universe! This is my latest wrestling fanfic. Third one too. :) I decided to write this based on recent events on the show. The basis comes from the idea of an evil king or dictator's rule being challenged by unlikely people. In this case, the WWE Divas, mainly Brie Bella. So, I hope you enjoy. :)_

_P.S. This story has nothing to do with whatever the people are like outside of wrestling. I decided to write it as if their characters are real and Monday Night Raw is their world. Just thought you should know. _

* * *

A Diva's Courage  
Chapter 1

_one...two...three!_

Randy Orton's music blared and the WWE universe let out cries of indignation and upset as the viper got up and stood looking down at the limp form of Daniel Bryan. His grin was sadistic as he reached down to pull Daniel out of the corner to the center of the ring where he proceeded to stomp on the bearded wrestler's arms and legs, causing him to cry out in pain and roll onto his side. He gave one last stomp on the head, knocking Daniel unconscious. When he was done there, he slid out beneath the ropes, reached under the ring, and brought out a black steel chair. Sliding it into the ring, he climbed back in and picked it up. He paused to relish in his power over the helpless Daniel Bryan amidst the deafening boos of the audience. It was easy to guess what he would do next. Lifting Daniel's head, he wedged it securely into the folded chair and backed away a few paces to the corner of the ring. There was pause, then he ran forward, stomping hard on the chair. Daniel's body jerked once and went still again...

* * *

"No!" screamed Brie Bella from where she looked on backstage. Nikki wrapped a comforting arm around her sister's shoulders as the tears slid down her cheeks. This match had been the last hope of the rebellion against Triple H and Stephanie's reign. If Daniel had won, it would have boosted confidence, given all the wrestlers in the roster a reason to continue fighting. Now, not only had Daniel lost, but he'd been completely obliterated, tortured by Orton. Distraught, Brie ducked out from her sister's embrace and made her way to the stage entrance where she knew they'd bring in the severely injured Daniel. She froze when she got there. Randy had come in first, a cool smile on his lips. He regarded her with predatory eyes. She didn't know what to do, so she stared at him with daggers in her own dark eyes.

He didn't react to her aggression, but murmured as he walked by, "Maybe now you'll consider my offer." Her eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at his retreating back. _That bastard! _Did he really expect her to drop Daniel for him, as he'd suggested about a week ago? No matter appearances, she was not a shallow woman. A short time later, medics rushed in, pulling Daniel Bryan on a gurney. She rushed with them to a room where they treated injured wrestlers. They worked over him, asking questions about whether this and that hurt. He was conscious again, but seemed to be in a lot of pain. It was finally decided that he needed to go to a hospital. The medical staff left to give Daniel and Brie some privacy. She gently took his hand in her's. He groaned slightly, but didn't tell her to let go.

There was a pause, and Daniel finally said, "We've failed."

Brie was surprised by this. "What are you talking about?"

His eyes closed in an expression of defeat. "I've been beaten. And judging by how much pain I'm in right now, I doubt I'll be able to come back for a while. The resistance will die."

Brie shook her head. "No. No, that won't happen. You've already inspired so many wrestlers to fight back. They won't give up."

He opened his eyes and looked sadly into her's. "How long will that last? First John Cena, now me. With no one to lead the rebellion, it'll end. The Mcmahon's reign will continue and they'll keep tearing the good wrestler's down and building the bad one's up. I may not have a job to come back to."

Brie felt the tears coming on again and fought them back. She could see the truth of his words, but didn't want to accept it. Stubbornly she insisted, "It won't end."

Daniel offered her a small smile and lifted a hand to stroke her cheek. "That's what I love most about you Brie. You're so full of hope. Maybe it'll be enough to save this company." With those words, he lapsed into unconsciousness again. The medics came in shortly after that to take him to the waiting ambulance. She held his hand until he was out of her reach.

* * *

As she was walking out of the room Daniel had been in and into the hall, she felt eyes on her and looked up with mild surprise to see Randy leaning on the opposite wall, arms folded across his muscular, T-shirt clad chest. "What do you want?" she hissed, filling the question with as much venom as she could muster. Randy only smiled, which angered her even more.

"Just came to see what the verdict was about Daniel. It's always good to see how much your work pays off."

"Go to Hell." she replied, spitting the words at him. She hated this man with a passion. Turning to walk away, she froze when one of his large hands grabbed her arm with a grip like iron.

"I wasn't done talking to you Brie."

"Well I'm done talking to you." She tried to rip her arm away, but he wouldn't let go. "Let go of me!"

"Your boyfriend's not here...why don't we go somewhere more private?" His voice was a purr in her ear.

"No!" she screamed, getting ready to turn around and slap him across the face.

"The lady said to let her go. Maybe you should listen, Orton." said a voice behind them. Randy released her and they both looked to see the Miz standing there, fully dressed in a fancy gray suit, his brown hair slicked back.

"Why is it any of your business, Miz?" asked Randy angrily. Brie peeked over his broad shoulder to mouth a silent thank you, to which Miz nodded almost imperceptibly, hardly breaking eye contact with Randy. Things looked like they might get ugly, so Brie got out of there as fast as she could.

* * *

A few weeks passed, and things went from bad, to worse. Daniel Bryan wouldn't be able to come back for several months due to a few broken bones. She was with him as much as possible, but he encouraged her to keep working, even though she was tempted to quit. She kept the incident with Randy to herself, knowing that it would only make Daniel even more frustrated. He wanted so badly to come back and continue to lead the resistance.

Meanwhile, his predictions seemed to be coming true. Stephanie and Triple H were on a power trip, tearing down all who opposed them. The Shield seemed to patrol the halls like nazi secret police, picking on anyone who said anything bad about the bosses. Even Big Show, his heart hardened, did Stephanie's bidding without a second thought. While the wrestlers were tormented, the divas remained ignored, nothing more than a little show between all the big stuff, occasionally harrassed by the bad guys, who insisted they were hot stuff. Randy continued trying to get Brie's attention. When they saw each other in the halls, he would wink at her, sometimes brushing her arm with his fingers. She was able to ignore it easily enough, but then he cornered her in the break room. literally. "Get out of my way." she said in a firm voice, clutching a container of salad in her hands. He didn't move, instead continuing to leer at her in a repulsive way.

"You sure you haven't been thinking about it Brie?"

"Thinking about what?" she asked sharply. Her patience was wearing thin.

He raised one long arm to caress her cheek. She flinched away. "All the things you want me to do to you." he said with a smirk.

"You're insane, now move." She tried to walk around him, but he got in her way again. "I am warning you Randy."

"Warning me?" he asked in a teasing voice, like he didn't think she could hurt him.

She was about to prove him wrong.

"You asked for it." In one quick jerk of her leg, she kneed him in the place where it would hurt a man most. While he was bent over, groaning in pain, she slipped past him.

After break, Brie made her way to the general manager's office. Brad Maddox was an agreeable guy, if not gullible. She was sure that, with the right words, she could convince him to do anything. She got to the office, opened the door, and nearly went right back out. Brad was there alright, along with Triple H and Stephanie. "Ah, Brie!" said Stephanie, like she was happy to see one of the Bella twins there. A huge smile was planted on her face. Brie smiled in return, so as not to seem hostile. Then again, the Bella twins were the face of the diva's division. Maybe she _was_ happy to see Brie. "What can we do for you?"

As she walked all the way into the sparse office and stood in front of the three of them, she was overcome with a sense of intimidation. Could she really say what she wanted to in front of them? Would they tear her down for it? She decided to give it her best shot. "Um, I actually wanted to make a suggestion to Brad about a match for tonight."

Stephanie's genial smile remained in place as she said, "Well, anything you have to say to Brad, you can certainly say to us." She gestured to herself and her mammoth of a husband behind her, who nodded in agreement, a small smile on his face.

_Oh, boy. Here it goes. _"I was thinking it would be...best for business...if you made a match between the Shield and Randy Orton, the Big Show, and...Ryback." She added lamely, realizing that she probably hadn't thought this through very well. It had sounded so much better in her head.

Stephanie pursed her lips, then said, "You really think that would be best for business Brie? Or are you still upset about what Randy did to Daniel a few weeks ago?"

Brie hesitated before saying, "That might be part of it, but-"

"Well, how about this," interrupted Stephanie. "You want revenge on Orton? You'll get it. We were just talking about a mixed tag match between you, Nikki, and the Miz and Randy Orton, Leyla, and AJ Lee. Sound good?"

Brie had already gotten her own, personal revenge on Orton, but knew that any protests would receive negative responses. So, she nodded meekly and turned from the room.

* * *

Later that night, the Bella twins' music blared and the two girls strutted out with their usual flair. But underneath, Brie felt the nerves writhe in her stomach. All night, she'd been hatching a plan in her head. It was crazy, and could potentially get her fired, but she had to do it. If she took a stand, others would soon follow.

The Miz came out after them, a look of grim determination on his handsome face. He still wanted revenge on Orton after what the man had done to him in front of his parents. Tonight would be his chance to get it.

Brie felt bad that he wouldn't get that chance.

AJ Lee came skipping out with the Diva's Championship slung over her slender shoulder, quickly followed by Leyla. People booed and cheered at the same time. There was a pause before Randy Orton's song played and he walked slowly and ominously down the ramp, a look of malicious intent in his sharp features. He threw a fierce scowl in Brie's direction as he got in the ring right next to her and stalked to his corner with AJ and Leyla. The bell rang and the Miz started off against Randy. The two wrestlers circled each other before going at it while the four divas watched. Grinning mischievously, Nikki leaned over to Brie and muttered, "Shall we try a littler twin magic for this one?" It was a famous tactic of their's, where the dark-haired girls switched places when the referee wasn't looking. They were rarely caught. Though Brie appreciated her sister's cunning, she shook her head absently, her mind focused only on what she planned to do.

Though the Miz had the upper hand in the beginning of the match, he soon became overcome by the viper's devious moves; He stumbled backwards, just within reach of Brie's hand. She tagged herself in.

The Miz looked at her in disbelief mixed with frustration. He wasn't ready to get out yet. He relented though, and Brie found herself face-to-face with Randy Orton. He was a tall, dangerous man with cold, merciless eyes that were trained on her. Despite that, she knew he couldn't attack her. It was against the rules for a wrestler to go up against a diva, fairness and all that.

But that wouldn't stop her from attacking _him._

In one quick movement, Brie leapt at him.

* * *

_Thank you for reading! I promise that I will update as soon as I can. In the meantime, please review and tell me what you think. Thanks!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Here's chapter 2! Took me a little while, but I got it out. Thank you so much for the reviews and I hope no one's disappointed with this chapter. Please review and let me know if you think it could be improved, or if you like it the way it is. Enjoy! :)_

* * *

Chapter 2

The Viper fell backward under her weight and she proceeded to beat his chest with her fists repeatedly, suddenly taken over by a blind rage as she thought about what he'd done to her boyfriend. The audience cheered for her and she could hear her sister's voice yelling at her to stop, as well as a few other voices, but she didn't listen. Randy raised his hands. She thought he was trying to block her furious attack, but instead, he caught hold of her wrists and held them together in a vice-like grip. In that moment, the bell rang and Triple H's music blared through the speakers. Brie froze, coming to her senses as she realized she was in trouble. Randy hadn't let go of her wrists. He got to his feet, pulling her up with him. She caught Nikki's shocked eyes in the corner of the ring, as well as the Miz's. She wasn't sure if the babble from the audience was cheering or a mixture of boos and cheers as she watched the big man walk out onto the stage, his hard features contorted in anger. _Here we go..._ she thought.

"Brie Bella." he said, his voice booming through the microphone. "Come to my office immediately." He turned and headed backstage again. Brie sighed, mentally preparing herself for whatever was coming. Then she realized that Randy was still holding her thin wrists together in one hand. She looked at him pointedly.

"You attacked me." he accused, his eyes boring into her's. They were filled with icy menace. "Twice."

Brie felt a tingle of fear down her spine, but refused to let it show. "You deserved it." she said. Then she rose up on the balls of her feet so she was nearly eye level with him and hissed, "I don't regret anything and would gladly do it again." She jerked her leg slightly toward his groin, causing him to jump back, releasing her. Smirking, she turned to leave the ring, whipping her dark hair dramatically. Maybe it would hit him in the face. Nikki followed after her as she headed backstage at a brisk, confident walk.

* * *

"What are you thinking, Brie? You could be suspended for this!" said Nikki as they walked in the direction of the general manager's office, where Triple H was most likely to be.

"At this point, I don't care if I get canned. This mess has to stop."

They arrived at the brown wooden door marked RAW General Manager and Nikki grabbed her sister's shoulder before she could enter. "Please tell me you know what you're getting yourself into. I don't want to see you get hurt."

Brie stared into Nikki's dark eyes, practically teary with worry and grabbed her into tight hug, saying as she did so, "I'll be fine." She pulled away, smiling impishly. "I'm a Bella, after all. We know how to play the game." This remark earned a giggle from Nikki.

"Right. Good luck." She turned and walked down the hall. Brie watched her go before taking a deep breath and opening the door. _Oh, crap. _Triple H stood in the center of the room, surrounded by all three members of the Shield. _What are _they_ here for?_ she thought. Triple H didn't look pleased to see her and the three men behind him looked at her with cold, indifferent eyes.

"Hello, Brianna. Why don't you come in?" She didn't move, eyeing the men in black warily. Triple H noticed her gaze.

"Oh, don't worry about them. I was just speaking to them about something." To the Shield, "You can leave now fellas. We'll talk later." Brie stepped to the side as they exited the room in single file. Seth Rollins, the last one out, smirked and winked at her.

"See you later honey." The comment sounded friendly on the surface, but she felt like there was an underlying threat to it. Or maybe she was getting paranoid.

"You can come in now." called Triple H, a note of impatience in his gruff voice. Brie stepped inside, closing the door behind her. The room was quiet, the atmosphere ominous. She found herself growing more and more anxious as she waited for her boss to speak. Finally, he folded his bulky arms across his massive chest and said, "You've got some nerve, don't you? Breaking the rules like that." She was surprised when the smile broke across his bearded face. "It's good to see that in a diva, especially in a veteran like yourself."

Brie felt her heart swell with the unexpected praise. "So, I'm not fired?"

She felt deflated when the smile dropped into a frown. "No...but I wouldn't do more things like that if I were you, Brianna. I would like to keep you here, since you're a fan favorite. You're good for business, but actions like what you did to Randy Orton are bad for business. You understand?"

In other words, they couldn't afford to lose her, no matter what she did. Brie felt her old sarcastic, confident self coming into play. "Well, I don't know. The WWE universe seemed to enjoy what I did." She put on a smile of mock sweetness. "Now how can that be bad for business?"

Triple H's eyes seemed to ice over and his frown deepened as he realized she could see through his words. "Watch yourself. Just because you're good for business, doesn't mean we can't make your life a living Hell. And not just your's, but everyone you care about can suffer along with you."

Brie was shaken by the threat, but kept her composure. "I doubt you can make anyone suffer as much as you already have."

In two steps, he was in her face, his breath blowing on her in great huffs. "Watch me." Her face paled and, for once, she had no comeback. "Now get out." After a moment's hesitation, she turned on her heels and left the office.

* * *

"So, what's bugging you?" asked Nikki in the break room a few days later, picking at her salad with a plastic white fork. Brie stared at an uneaten tuna sandwich in front of her. Triple H's words had been running through the back of her head constantly, haunting her every action. He could make the people she cared about suffer if she tried anymore crazy stunts. She wasn't sure if she should continue. Was it a bluff? A man like Triple H didn't seem like someone who could bluff. She'd seen him hurt people before, as a wrestler, but as the COO, he could do so much worse.

She was so deep in these thoughts, she jumped when her sister snapped her fingers in her face. "Earth to Brianna, please come back."

"What?" Brie asked, suddenly on alert.

"I asked what's bugging you, and you just kept staring at your sandwich like you were waiting for it to do tricks. What's up?"

Brie shook her head. "Nothing. Just thinking about some things the boss told me."

"Like what?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

Nikki looked at her with concern before shrugging and looking down at her salad again. "Alright, but I'm here when you need to."

It wasn't until later that night, when everyone was heading home for the evening, that Brie brought up her dilemma to the one person she knew would understand: Daniel Bryan.

She found him resting in the bedroom when she got home. His face lit up in a warm smile when she walked in. "Hey, long time, no see." She smiled back and walked across the room to give him a light hug; He was still sore. "So, how's work?" That's when she spilled everything to him. About how things had gotten worse, how Randy kept making passes at her, eventually leading to her attacking him twice, then the whole conversation with Triple H, including the threats. "I want to fight, but I'm not sure if I should. It's all so...so..."

"Sickening." Daniel finished, frowning.

"So what should I do?"

The bearded man looked thoughtful for a moment, then said, "Don't give up. Stay strong. No matter what they do to try and beat you down, you can't let it break you. You're a strong woman and nothing they do can change that."

Brie smiled at this and leaned forward to give him a grateful kiss on the lips. "Thank you. I'll remember that."

"Glad to help."

She got up from her seat on the bed with a resigned sigh. "Now I gotta start making a plan." She stayed up late into the night, coming up with ideas on how to proceed and trading them with Daniel. He helped by giving her ideas she hadn't thought of and revising her plan. On the next Monday Night RAW, she began putting her plan into action. She found Big Show in the hall outside the wrestlers' locker room.

"Hey Show, what's up?" she asked in a conversational tone.

"Hey." answered Big Show in a lifeless voice. She was struck by how beaten down the big guy looked. He couldn't even meet her gaze.

"Wow, they've really done a number on you, haven't they?" No response. Taking a deep breath, she took his arm and turned him so he was facing her. He put up no resistance. "Look, Big Show, they're hurting you so much right now. You can't keep letting them. Heck, you could probably knock Triple H out with one punch. Or Randy Orton...or one of the Shield." She could see life sparking in his morbid eyes at what she was suggesting. Then they went dark again

He shook his head sadly. "I can't lose this job Brie."

"But you won't. Don't you see? Triple H and Stephanie are playing with you. You still have that iron-clad contract John Laurinitus gave you. They can't touch that." His dark eyes widened with the realization that he'd missed, but there was still no hope in them.

He shook his head again. "I can't take that risk, even if what you say is true. I-" He cut himself off when his eyes spotted something right behind the dark-haired diva. "We were just having a conversation." he said. Startled, Brie whirled around to see Dean Ambrose, the leader of the three goons known as the Shield. He looked unpleasant as usual with his slicked back brown hair and black clothes.

"A conversation, huh?" he asked, his eyes darting back and forth between Brie and Show's faces, searching for something. "I thought I heard something about a contract...and knocking some choice people out..."

Brie put on a fierce scowl. "It's not nice to eavesdrop, Dean."

"Oh, I wasn't eavesdropping. As the hounds of justice, we've trained ourselves to have good hearing. It makes it easier to find out when someone's plotting something that might be...bad for business." he replied, smirking at his own use of the boss' catch phrase.

Brie stared at him through narrowed eyes. "Maybe you're the one that's bad for business."

He lost the smirk and grabbed her roughly by the arm. "Maybe I should take you to the boss and see what he has to say about this."

Before Brie could respond, a huge fist slammed into the side of Dean's face, knocking him to the floor. Brie blinked in shock, then turned to Big Show with a huge smile. He looked stunned by his own actions. "Now that's what I'm talking about!" she said enthusiastically. She leaned closer and said in a low voice, "I'm making a stand against Triple H and Stephanie. Will you support me?"

Big Show looked thoughtful for a moment, then a hard determination settled over his features. He nodded. "Yes."

More pumped up than ever, Brie stood up on her tip toes, then jumped slightly to give Big Show a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks." She then set off down the hall at a brisk walk that was almost a jog. _One down, tons to go._

* * *

_Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think. _


	3. Chapter 3

_I was so inspired by last Monday's episode. It feels weird to watch your characters in a fanfiction actually interact with each other in the show, but it gave me so many ideas, I loved it! :) I can't wait to see what happens on next week's episode. It might give me more ideas. Enjoy! :D_

* * *

Chapter 3

_"I'M GONNA KNOCK TRIPLE H THE HELL OUT!"_ exploded the Big Show through the TV screen before stomping off down the hall. Brie felt like dancing. He was finally standing up to them. Maybe now things would start looking up.

"I can't believe you actually convinced him to do this." said Nikki from her spot on the dark gray couch. Brie'd told her about everything, wanting to bring her sister into her plans of rebellion. But Nikki was reluctant, surprised that her sister would even _think_ of doing what she was doing. "We've got a good thing here, and you're going to ruin it over something that doesn't even affect us." she continued, rising up from the couch.

Brie turned on her. "Doesn't affect us? What do you think they're going to do once they've finished breaking the spirits of all the wrestlers who would dare do the right thing? They'll set their sights on us. Is that what you want?"

"Well, no but..."

"Then help me. Show some support, please."

Nikki folded her arms and shrugged. "It's not like I have a choice, do I? We're the Bella twins. Whatever one does affects the other. I just hope you don't drag me down with you." Brie opened her mouth to respond, but Nikki had already left the room. An official came in shortly afterward to tell Brie that she had a match next. She headed out, reluctantly accompanied by her sister.

* * *

Brie's heart sank when she saw the cops surrounding Big Show. "No no no!" She fled the room to go to his defense. When she reached the office, she heard Stephanie's voice coming from within. Picking up the gist of it, she realized that Stephenie was defending the Big Show. _What?_ Then she heard her bring up his wife and realized she was just trying to bring the Big Show down even more. "...you haven't exactly been measuring up to her expectations." Brie resisted the sudden urge to rush in and slap the owner of WWE. Then Stephenie stepped out of the office, looking like the cold, corporate bitch she was in her dark suit and high heels. "Can I help you Brianna?" she asked in an indifferent voice.

It took a moment before Brie could compose herself enough to answer through gritted teeth, "No, I was just walking by."

Stephanie nodded. "Of course you were. I was just looking for you actually. Did you know that your boyfriend-excuse me, fiancé-is here tonight?"

Brie took a step back in shock. "He is? But he's injured!"

Stephanie shrugged. "That doesn't mean he can't have a simple talk with Randy Orton. They're going out there to stir the pot, have a little talk-out before the big title match. Perfectly harmless."

Brie felt dizzy all of a sudden, the earth shifting beneath her. He was here and he didn't tell her? He was going to meet Randy for a "talk-out"? Brie knew from experience that talk-outs usually escalated into something more. With how angry Randy was with her, he could kill Daniel! "You okay there, Brianna?" asked Stephanie in a voice of false concern. "You look a little queasy."

Brie shook her head, saying more to herself than Stephanie, "I've got to find him." She turned and bolted down the hall, barely registering the muffled thump of Big Show's fist putting a hole in office wall behind her.

Brie knocked frantically on the wrestlers' locker room door when she reached it, desperately hoping she wasn't too late. It was answered by the born-rebel, CM Punk. He had a self-satisfied smile already in place. Brie attributed it to his recent stunt against Paul Heyman, Ryback, and Curtis Axel. He looked surprised to see her. "Brie? What are you...?" He left his question trail off when he saw the expression on her face. "What's wrong?"

"Where's Daniel?" she asked breathlessly, not even acknowledging his questions.

He thought for a moment, then said, "I saw him heading down the hall that leads to the stage entrance. He'll be going on next with Orton...Hey!" Brie had already torn off down the hall. She reached the end of the entrance hall and nearly skidded into Daniel. He caught her in his arms.

"Brie, what are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here? What are you doing here? Why didn't you come see me and tell me what you're doing?!"

"Because you would've tried stopping me." he answered simply, a knowing smile on his face and affection in his blue eyes.

For a moment, she couldn't find her words. Finally, in a pleading voice she said, "Please don't go out there. Please. Randy really hates me right now and he'll take that out on you."

"Technically, Randy hates everybody. He hates me for having a beard and being short, so I wouldn't feel too bad about it if I were you." he said, his eyes crinkling up at the corners in amusement. Brie didn't laugh.

"This isn't funny Daniel. He can hurt you...so much more than last time." Tears squeezed out the corners of her eyes at the thought. He brushed the tears away with his thumbs and held her face tilted so she had no choice but to meet his gaze.

"Stay strong." he reminded her softly. Jerry Lawler's voice reached them then, echoing out the good news of their wedding, which now seemed to Brie like a horribly distant dream at the end of a long, frightening road. "I have to go out there now Brie." It was a long moment before Brie nodded, eyes on the floor. She felt Daniel plant a kiss on her head, then he was gone, his music blaring through the speakers. She was still looking at the floor when she felt another presence there, one that made the blood freeze in her veins.

"Hello Brie." said a silky voice in front of her. She looked up to glare at Randy Orton who only returned her gaze with a deadly smile. "Don't worry, I'm not here to hurt _you_."

Blood boiled beneath her skin. "If you hurt him, I swear-"

Her threat was cut off as he got in her face with disconcerting speed. She instinctively tried to back away, only to feel a wall behind her. "What? You're going to hurt me?" asked the apex predator in a taunting voice, his cold breath in her face.

"I did it before, I can do it again." she muttered through her teeth.

He chuckled darkly. "I bet you could, but you won't since it'll only make things worse for your...fiancé."

Brie's eyes widened at the threat. "No, don't..."

He put a finger to her lips, shushing her. "Don't worry, I won't hurt him...too badly." His music blared outside and he started walking away, calling over his shoulder, "See you around, Brianna." Once he was out there, Brie moved to the entryway and listened.

"Don't interfere." said another voice behind her. _Oh, no._ She turned around slowly to see Dean Ambrose flanked by Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns.

She let out an exasperated sigh. "And what do you three want? If you're here to threaten me with Daniel's safety, I got news for you, Randy beat you to it. So...go play fetch with the Mcmahons, or something." she said, making a shooing motion with her hand.

Dean shook his head, chuckling. "Yeah, that's a good one. But you could say that's what we're here for now. Triple H and Stephanie sent us to fetch you and take you to their office, where you won't cause a problem."

"What problem could I cause by just standing here?" she asked, arching one dark eyebrow.

"Well, I believe this whole stunt is the Mcmahon's idea of putting you in your place." said Dean. He leaned closer to her and said, "They want you to stand and watch what Randy does to Daniel and be powerless to do anything about it. I tipped them off about your little chat with the Big Show and they didn't like it." Before Brie could reply, they all four heard a scuffle begin outside in the ring when the steady thrum of Randy's voice in the mic was abruptly cut off, followed immediately by the thud of a microphone hitting the ring floor. Brie automatically made a move to go out to the ring, but was stopped by Dean's quick arms winding around her and locking her arms at her sides.

"Let me go! Let me go!" she screamed, struggling violently, but his arms didn't budge.

"No can do sweetheart." Despite his words and the futility of it, Brie struggled until she could struggle no more, going limp in his arms. A few minutes that seemed to last an eternity passed before there was a buzzing sound. Seth pulled out his cell phone and scanned the text. Him and Dean shared a brief look, then Dean's arms loosened, allowing Brie to pull herself away. "Randy's got your fiance on the floor. You might want to check on him." Brie sprinted out into the WWE Universe without a second thought. Seeing the ring empty in front of her, she raced around the side to find Daniel lying brokenly on the floor and Randy backing away from him with a malicious smile on his lips. He turned his back on her and she ran forward to crouch at Daniel's side. He was barely conscious.

"Brie..." he groaned, his heavy-lidded eyes finding her face.

"Oh Daniel, I told you..." Out of her peripheral, she saw Randy approaching and jumped up, caught off guard by how...deranged he looked, his menacing eyes locked on her. She skittered away until her back hit the barrier. Randy stopped in front of Daniel, watching her as he lifted the half-conscious man, one hand clutching his hair, the other, his beard. His smile made her feel sick. She shook her head. "No, no Randy." In a flash, he threw Daniel at the commentary table where his head bounced off the edge. A horrified yelp jumped from Brie's throat when she saw the impact. She made a move to try stopping him, but Randy grabbed Daniel in a headlock and pulled him up onto the table. Brie froze, seeing what he was about to do. "Stop Randy! Stop it now!" she screamed. "It's me you want, come and get me!" It was a risk, and would be painful if he accepted her offer, but it would be better than seeing Daniel get hurt.

"You want me to stop?" he asked tauntingly, his voice raised over the white noise of the audience that surrounded them. It happened quickly then: One minute Randy was standing there, looking at her with a manic gaze, the next, both him and Daniel had dropped like rocks on the announcer table, causing it to collapse under their weight. Randy stood over the now completely unconscious Daniel. He had eyes only for Brie, seeming to enjoy her tortured expression. After one endless moment, he turned and left, allowing the medics to move in on Daniel. Brie went to his side, looking at him with tears in her eyes. She played back the incident in her head, a new feeling bubbling up in her stomach. It burned and frothed, and she stood as it boiled over. It was anger, hot and volatile as lava. She turned away from Daniel and marched around to the side of the ring where Randy had gone. He was poised there, apparently feeling the need to stretch after attempting to destroy someone's spirit. He turned to face Brie, a smirk on his coldly handsome face. "Well, hello-"

She socked him in the face.

She felt vindictive satisfaction at watching him stumble back a step, hand on his cheek where a red welt was blooming. He stared at her with wide, shocked eyes, an expression rarely seen on the face of the viper. She grinned at him.

"Wrong move sweetheart." The words didn't come from Randy. They came from an unpleasantly familiar voice behind her. Two large hands gripped her thin waist and she felt herself lifted off the floor. She let out a surprised gasp as Roman Reigns hefted her over his shoulder and ran with her up the ramp to the entrance, followed by the other two members of the Shield. She didn't even have time to scream.

* * *

_So, what did you think? It was killing me how helpless Brie looked in the show. It's so different from the Brie in my fanfic. During the scene, I kept imagining her running up and kicking Randy in the side of the head. :D But a punch in the face is pretty good too. :D Please review! I really want people's opinions on this chapter and don't worry, more will come soon!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4! Sorry it took so long. I'm kind of making up the plot as I go, but I do know how I want it to end. Hope you like it!_

* * *

Chapter 4

Once they were backstage, and Brie was over the shock of what just happened, she started putting up a fight. "What do you think you're doing?! This is not the proper way to treat a person. Put me down!" she screamed, all the while kicking her legs and beating her fists on Roman's back. The three just ignored her as they moved through the halls. Wrestlers, divas, and officials stopped to stare as they passed and Brie felt her face redden with humiliation. After a while, she just kept her eyes on the floor so she wouldn't have to see their gawking faces.

The group finally came to a stop outside the GM's office and Roman set Brie down on her feet. She scowled up at him as Dean knocked twice on the wooden door. "Enter." replied Triple H's voice from inside. They opened the door and shoved Brie inside, following after her and closing it behind them. Triple H stood in front of them, hands casually in his pockets. He eyed Brie indifferently, but she thought there was something boiling beneath the surface. He was angry, but keeping himself in check. "Brie." he said in way of greeting. He turned and sank down on one of the leather couches against the wall, his hands clasped in front of him. "Why don't you have a seat?" he offered, nodding at the spot next to him. Wary, Brie walked slowly over and sat down on the edge, tensed for anything. The Shield remained by the door, guarding it, she thought, in case she tried to get away, or simply to keep anyone from coming in to help her should they hear her pained screams..._Stop being paranoid! _she scolded herself while Triple H sat in thoughtful silence.

"Now Brie, I take it you remember our last conversation in this office?" he asked calmly, angling himself to face her. His brows were lowered, putting his eyes in shadow, making his expression all the more intimidating.

"I do." she answered evenly. Triple H nodded.

"And you should also know I'm generally a man of my word." His voice lowered to a gravelly one of menace. "Your recent activities haven't been very good for business. I may have to do something about that."

Brie felt the anger simmering to a boil once again. She was fed up with all the threats. "You may have to _do_ something about it? Haven't you done plenty already? Or is ruining people's lives not enough for you?" She got to her feet so she could stand above him. "You're constantly saying about what's best fo business and what's bad for business, but did you ever think that maybe _you're_ what's bad for business?" Triple H opened his mouth to say something. "No! I don't want to hear anything from you! You threaten my fiancé and don't expect me to do anything about it? Well I'm done! I'm not taking your crap anymore, and I don't think anyone else will once word gets around. I'm taking a stand." She turned to walk away.

"Brie Bella, one more toe out of line, and I promise you..."

"What?" Brie challenged, stopping halfway across the office and whipping around to face him. "What can you do? Fire me?" She pointed to her face and said, "Face of the company, remember? You can't touch me. And making everyone who knows me suffer? That won't stop me. It'll only encourage me to fight harder." Triple H was on his feet in a heartbeat, his breath coming out in huffs, like a bull about to charge. Brie half-expected him to run at her.

"And what makes you think anyone will follow you?! You're just a diva! What can one diva possibly do?" he questioned angrily.

Brie smiled thinly and said, "Whatever it takes." before turning to the door. Dean Ambrose still blocked the way.

"Move." she demanded curtly. He just smirked at her.

"What if I don't want to?"

She glared dangerously. "Then I'll just have to make you." She made a quick movement, causing him to flinch.

"Let her go." said Triple H, his voice dangerously low. "You've started something, Ms. Bella, that you won't be able to control. And you won't like the consequences."

Dean moved to the side to allow her exit, but Brie suddenly felt cold, once again questioning herself. She shook it off and went out the door, Daniel's words echoing in her mind. _Stay strong._

* * *

"So, I saw what you did to Orton." commented CM Punk to Brie in the break room a few days later. He'd seated himself at the table with the two Bellas. "You're either really brave, or totally insane."

"I'd go with totally insane." chimed in Nikki, looking into her small, compact mirror to put on lip liner. Brie paid no attention to her sister's comment, texting Daniel on her phone. He was at home resting after the brutal attack by Randy.

Sparing Nikki an amused glance, CM Punk grinned and said, "Well, either way, I like it."

Brie looked at him speculatively. "Would you be willing to join my cause?"

He shrugged, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms across his chest. "I don't see why not. I've taken on my share of evil dick-tators. What's one more?"

Brie snickered at the pun and looked back at her phone.

"So what's the plan?" asked Punk curiously.

Brie put her phone away and replied, "I don't really have one. I just want the Mcmahons to back off and I feel like if I get enough support from other wrestlers and divas, they will."

"And if they don't back off, even then?"

Brie shrugged. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

"I want in." said the Miz, appearing out of nowhere. The three looked at him in surprise. His eyes were filled with cold determination.

"Alright, you're in." said Brie.

"And not just that." said the Miz, pulling out a chair and sitting down. "I have an idea."

* * *

"No." said Nikki vehemently for what seemed like the fifth time. "I refuse to be a pawn in your games." They were in the locker room getting ready for the night's show. The plan the Miz offered was simple: Take out the Shield. Without those three, the Mcmahons wouldn't have much help in their evil machinations. The best way to do that would be to get each of them alone. And what man could resist being alone with a beautiful woman? However, Nikki refused to be a volunteer in this mission.

"Come on Nicole, please?" persisted Brie, clasping her hands together in the universal begging gesture. "Just this once...or three times, maybe?"

"No." answered Nikki again, more firmly than before. "Why don't you do it? It's your plan."

Brie rolled her eyes. "Because they know what I'm up to. There's no way they'd trust me."

"Well I'm your sister. Your _twin_ sister. What makes you think they'd trust me?"

Brie bit her bottom lip. "Good point."

"I could help you."

They both looked to see AJ Lee slinking up to them, a confident smirk on her face. "What are you talking about?" Brie asked suspiciously. They both knew that AJ hated them with a passion.

AJ shrugged. "I do have a reputation with men. Why would anyone suspect little old me of treachery?"

The Bellas shared a confused look before Brie said, "Why would you help our cause? Don't you hate us?"

AJ held up her Divas championship. "I've held this title for a while, and they aren't paying me half as much attention as they did to Randy Orton. I deserve better. Plus, the Shield have been allowed way too much control. It's time things changed."

Brie grimaced at the shorter diva, then nodded, resigned. "Alright, you're in. But if I get any sign that you're going to betray us, I will beat you to a pulp. Understand?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." replied AJ, waving away the threat. "Just tell me who I get first."

* * *

Roman Reigns was standing at the door, waiting to go out to the ring. The other two were entering at a separate door. He felt a tap on his back and turned to see a short girl with long black hair hanging in ropes out either side of her head smiling up at him. "Hiya Roman." she greeted, twirling her hair flirtatiously.

"Hi." he answered, turning back to face the door. _There's something not right about that girl._ He felt another tap on his back. "What?" he asked, growing irritated.

Still smiling up at him, AJ said, "I've always liked a man in uniform." she ran a hand intimately down the front of his black outfit. "Especially a really tall man..."

Roman stiffened, then examined her small face more closely. "You trying to tell me you like me?"

"Uh-huh. In fact, the divas locker room is deserted at the moment...I could show it to you, if you want." she replied, wrapping her thin arms around his waist. Roman patted her back awkwardly, not used to this kind of attention.

"Uh...maybe later. We, um, have a match against..." His sentence trailed off when AJ used his shoulders to pull herself up to his face and pressed her lips firmly against his. He reacted immediately, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist and kissing her back fiercely.

"Come on...it won't...take long..." said AJ between kisses.

Thoughts of his coming match faded away and he said, "Alright...if you say so..." He released her and she dropped to the floor, took his hand, and skipped down the hall, pulling him along with her.

* * *

_Hotel, India, echo, delta, _Shield...

Their music played, followed by the audience's boos. Dean and Seth made their way down the steps and into the ring, then looked around in confusion. "Where is he?" asked Dean. Seth shrugged, shaking his head. The match continued as planned, though the remaining members had a bad feeling about their missing teammate.

* * *

Roman fell against the lockers and slumped to the floor, knocked out. Big Show grinned in satisfaction at finally being able to knock out someone who deserved it. AJ clapped excitedly. "Good work." said Brie, stepping out from behind the lockers, followed by Nikki, Miz, and CM Punk. "Now we have to hide him somewhere."

"I'm sure we'll find a place." said the Miz. "The WWE Universe is a big place."

Punk chuckled. "He's going to have a major headache when he wakes up." They all shared a laugh.

"Well, better move him." said Show. He bent down and threw the unconscious man over his shoulder, preparing to move him to a safer place. Abruptly, the door burst open and the Viper himself came in. Everyone froze as Randy took in the scene before him. His eyes locked on Brie's face. She stared back at him, defiant and ready for anything. The group standing around her, ready to fight for her cause, gave her confidence a boost.

After an endless moment of silence, Randy said, "I've got a place to keep him, if you're interested." nodding toward Roman, who was still hanging over Big Show's massive shoulder.

Brie blinked. "What?"

He took a step toward her and everybody tensed. Offering a cursory glance at all their distrusting faces, he said, "Brie, you've got guts. You took me on three times, and not many people can do that, let alone a single diva. I admire that. So much, that I want to join this little rebellion you've got going. I want in."

"No." replied Brie coldly. She turned to Big Show. "Come on Show. _I _know where we can hide him." She headed out the door, brushing roughly past Randy as she went. The Viper didn't move as the others filed past him.

"Tough luck." commented CM Punk, pausing in front of Randy on his way out. "Maybe she'd be more welcoming if you hadn't tortured her fiancé right in front of her. Maybe not even then." Smirking, he continued out the door.

* * *

_How about that? Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review!_


	5. Chapter 5

_Here's chapter 5! Sorry it took so long. I was suffering from writer's block and Big Show knocking out Triple H on RAW had me even more stumped, then I decided to just ignore the show and let my story go where it goes. Hope you like it!_

* * *

Chapter 5

Brie paced up and down the small sitting room, stressing. Big Show had been fired. It had to have been because they were onto them. Without Big Show, how could they take out the remaining two members of the Shield? They needed to do it quickly and efficiently and none of the other wrestlers had the ability Big Show had to do that. "Hey, Brie." said CM Punk, coming in with two knocks on the wall. Brie didn't stop her pacing.

"We're in trouble. We're in so much trouble." she said, more to herself than him.

"Uh, yeah, I kind of figured that. Anyway, I got a new recruit."

She stopped in her pacing. "Who?" Punk poked his head outside the door and made a waving motion. R Truth entered a second later, grinning.

"I'm ready to do what I can." he said.

Brie nodded. "Great. We're going to need all the help we can get." She looked at Punk. "You saw what happened to Show, right?" Punk nodded grimly. "What if they catch onto everyone who's working with me? You could all get fired because of me!" She sank down onto the couch and pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. There was a pause, then she felt a weight settle next to her.

"Look, Brie, we all knew what the risks were when we signed up for this. You can't let Big Show's firing get you down. If you give up, we all give up." Brie lifted her head to see his face. It was serious and competely sincere, then he cracked a small smile. "Besides, they can't fire all of us. It'd be bad for business." The joke was meant to cheer her up, and it worked. The smiled at him.

"Well, isn't that sweet?" said a sarcastic, mocking voice from the doorway. They both jumped up to see Dean Ambrose standing there, a sly smile on his face. "I doubt Daniel would be happy to know that his fiance's spending her time with other men."

"What do you want Dean?" Brie spit.

"Boss wants to see you." he said, his expression going serious.

She stiffened. "About what?"

"You'll just have to find out." Sighing, Brie stood.

"You want me to come with you?" asked Punk.

"No, I'll be escorting Ms. Bella." interjected Dean. "You could just wait here like a good little boy for your next match." His voice was taunting. CM Punk stood, ready to beat the crap out of the other man. Brie put a restraining hand on his chest.

"Just let it go. I'll be fine." she said.

A resigned look crossed his face. "Fine." He threw a menacing look in Dean's direction. "I'll get you later."

"Ooh, I'm so scared." replied Dean mockingly. He motioned for Brie to go before him. She did so, CM Punk's concerned eyes following her on the way out.

* * *

"So, are you scared?" asked Dean as they made their way down the hall.

"No." she answered curtly.

"Well, you should be." he replied threateningly. This unnerved her, but she kept her cool.

"Yeah, whatever."

"The boss has some special plans for you."

"Do me a favor, and shut up." They finally reached Triple H's hideaway and Ambrose knocked twice. Opening the door when Triple H told him to. Triple H was there with Stephanie, while Brad Maddox stood meekly in the background sipping his coffee. He looked like a beaten dog. _Such a coward. _Brie thought cuttingly before turning her attention to Triple H, who looked suspiciously like he was in a good mood. She set her jaw and said sarcastically, "You summoned?"

It was Stephanie who spoke. "Brianna, it's been such a long time since you've had a real challenge in the ring, don't you think?"

"I suppose." Brie answered cautiously, getting a bad feeling about where this was going.

Stephanie's grin reminded Brie of the Chesshire Cat, as she said, "Well, you'll be happy to know that I've made a few calls, and you have a match tonight."

Brie's dark eyes narrowed. "With whom?"

"It's a surprise. You'll see in a few minutes."

"It'd probably be best to be prepared. The sooner the better." added Triple H, effectively ordering her to leave. Taking the hint, Brie turned to go, throwing them one last suspicious glance before shutting the door.

She found Randy Orton leaning casually against the wall outside the office, apparently waiting for her. She blatantly ignored him, turning her back on him as she made her way down the hall. She had more important things to worry about. "Hey Brie!" called Randy, jogging up to fall in step beside her.

"Go away Randy." she commanded in irritation.

"Look Brie, I can help you."

"I don't want your help."

"But I've been up close and personal with corporate. I know things your other little helpers couldn't possibly know."

Finally, she whipped around to face him. "Why are you so eager to help? Why all of a sudden?"

"I've already said. Because I admire your courage, and I'm willing to side with that."

"So, what? You were impressed by me standing up to you? Well, I got news for you: I wasn't aiming to impress anyone, least of all you." She leaned really close and hissed in his face, "I _hate _you." Before he could reply, she turned and walked away.

* * *

"I don't like this Brie. It sounds like a trap." commented Nikki in the locker room where Brie was getting ready, concern coloring her tone.

"You don't think I know it's a trap?" she asked, tugging on her bright red boots that matched the rest of the outfit.

"You can get hurt. Seriously. Aren't you worried?"

"Of course I am, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do."

"Exactly. You're a girl. What if they send someone like Big E. Langston, or Ryback out to get you?"

Her outfit complete, Brie got to her feet and gave her sister a sarcastic look. "Please. I doubt they would stoop that low. It probably won't even be a big deal, maybe a three on one handicap match. I can handle myself, you know."

"Yeah, I know, but it's you alone. They never do that. I was always with you in matches before because we're the _Bella twins_." Brie looked into Nikki's fearful eyes, almost like a mirror of her own. She placed a comforting hand on her sister's shoulder. "Then come out and stand in my corner, will you? Be my support." Nikki bit her lip, then nodded determinedly. It was time she stepped up too.

The Bellas walked out together to their music, but only Brie was in her wrestling gear. Nikki simply wore a red dress and stood outside the ring. When their music ended, they waited with baited breath. Brad walked out then, microphone in hand. "Brie, may I introduce, her first time back on RAW in two years...KHARMA!" Right before he'd finished speaking, a woman's psychotic laughter filled the arena, followed by spine-chilling music, then the big woman herself walked out dressed in black with long dark braids partially concealing her face, though Brie could still see her evil eyes and wicked grin. She thought she might collapse with the combination of fear and shock that seemed to overwhelm her. Though it had been nearly two years, Brie still remembered the menacing threat the woman had made before she left the WWE, that she would be back and the Bella twins were the first people she would go after. Now she was apparently keeping that promise.

"GET OUT! GET OUT OF THE RING!" Nikki was screaming at her, but Brie barely heard. She was stunned.

Kharma paused before entering the ring, simply staring at Brie with that creepy look of her's. "I'm here to get you, little girl." she called, just loud enough for Brie to hear. _This can't be happening. _she thought repeatedly. When Kharma came in, Brie finally managed shake herself and assume her fighting stance. _Stay strong, stay strong, stay strong..._

The music stopped and the bell rang, signaling the match to begin. Kharma lumbered forward, not looking the least bit intimidated as Brie began circling her. _She's bigger than you. Remember, speed's the key here._ That in mind, she made her first move, going for a fast kick to the gut, but Kharma was deceptively quick; She caught Brie's ankle and twisted, causing Brie to flip onto the ring floor. The impact knocked the wind out of her. She went to get up, but felt Kharma's enormous boot push her roughly back down and hold her there. She couldn't breathe. She caught a flash of movement out of the corner of her eye and knew from the ring of the bell that Nikki had jumped into the ring. The pressure of Kharma's boot vanished and Brie pushed herself up just in time to watch the bigger woman toss her sister to the ring floor like a rag doll, where she tumbled over the edge to the mat-covered floor. "No!" she screamed. Feeling that now-familiar well of anger in her stomach, Brie ran blindly at Kharma, her intent to tackle her to the floor and beat her senseless, but Kharma somehow managed to catch hold of Brie in an iron grip. Brie was locked in a position similar to Triple H's pedigree and she knew what would come next as she struggled futiley. She was lifted up, her legs going straight into the air. She had a brief glimpse of the upside down WWE Universe, before she went down again, then everything went black.

* * *

_Thanks for reading! Please review and let me know what you think! I will update asap._


	6. Chapter 6-Final

_Hello again! It's taken a while, but here's the next and final chapter. Hope everyone's satisfied with it. There will be an epilogue describing their wedding though and a sequel. So don't give up on it yet._

* * *

Chapter 6

Brie opened her eyes and sat up with a start. She was in the trainers room on one of the green cots. She wasn't alone though. A lone figure leaned against the opposite wall, dressed only in wrestling attire and a t-shirt. His arms were folded across his chest and his eyes were cold, unemotional as he regarded her. "What are you doing here?" she asked suspiciously, glaring.

"Guarding you." he answered stoicly.

She looked around, but the other cots were empty. "Where's my sister? And Kharma?"

With a sigh, he heaved away from the wall and moved a few steps closer, stopping when she tensed. "How's your head?"

His words reminded her of the dull ache pulsing through her skull, but she ignored it. "Don't change the subject. Where's Nikki?"

"Not here."

"Why isn't she here?"

"Because she's not."

Her irritation was growing, as well as her panic. They twisted together to form a knot in her chest. "Randy..." she began warningly, but he raised a hand to stop her.

"Nikki's fine, for now."

"But where is she?" Brie insisted. "If she's injured, she should be here. If not, then she would at least be at my side, worrying. Why isn't she?"

With another sigh, the tall man rubbed the back of his head before saying. "She's being confined in the GM's office under threat of suspension. That's all I know. I was told by Triple H to keep you here until he calls for you, which will be tonight when he goes out to confront the WWE Universe with Stephanie. From there, only he knows what he's doing."

Brie took all this in and nodded slowly. So this was what it would come down to. A face off in front of the WWE Universe. She should've known this would happen. Triple H would threaten her with her sister, maybe make her do some humiliating thing in front of everyone to atone for her crimes against him. Maybe he would make an example of her and have Kharma come out and torture her, like how Randy tortured Daniel Bryan. Thinking of the jerk brought her attention back to him. "So why did they make you guard me? Why not the Shield?" She snickered. "Or what's left of them."

"The two members of the Shield are standing outside to make sure no one comes in. You could say I'm being held here as well, since I defied authority."

"Defied authority? How did you do that?" asked Brie, confused.

He took a few more steps closer then, so he was standing about a foot away. Brie didn't move. The look on his face was changing into one she was amazed to see on a face that was usually full of hate when directed at her. It was one of...affection. "The original plan was to take you and your sister out for good, so you couldn't stir up any more trouble. That plan failed when I intervened just as Kharma was about to deliver the final blow, one that might possibly break a bone and send you to the hospital. I didn't want to see that happen to someone with your spirit."

Brie was shocked. "Randy, what are you...?"

He shrugged. "I guess all I could say is...I've fallen in love with you, Brie. The moment you punched me in the face, the passion you've shown...it made me see something in you that I've never seen in a diva before. Hell, most of them just cower when I approach."

Brie shook her head, not believing what she was hearing. "Randy, I can't...we can't..."

He held up a hand to stop her. "I know it can't work. I'm the sadistic, son of a bitch you hate, and Daniel Bryan's the goat-faced troll you're in love with and will soon marry." His eyes softened, just a bit. "I apologize for what I put him through, but if I didn't do that, you might not have become the brave person you are now."

Brie was speechless. Who was this man? It couldn't be Randy. No such words would ever come from the Viper. Was it a trick? "Who are you?" she asked finally.

He shrugged. "Same person I've always been, but with just a little more respect for you. I've got your back, no matter what happens next." She thought for a moment. She still couldn't say she liked him, but she wasn't unforgiving to people who were sincere in their apologies. She got to her feet and walked over to stand in front of him. Her dark eyes stared searchingly up into his light ones, looking for any sign that this was a trick. She found none.

"I forgive you...but I'll never trust you, let alone like you. Understand?"

The Apex Predator thought about this, then nodded slowly, his face an unreadable mask. Just then, there was a knock at the door, which opened a second later. It was Dean Ambrose. "You need to come with us, Bella. Your cue is coming up." His eyes shifted back and forth between her and Randy suspiciously before he added, "Pretty Boy is staying here."

Brie set her jaw in a look of defiance. She shared a brief look with Randy before heading out the door Dean held open for her. She walked down the hall, flanked on either side by Dean and Seth and feeling very much like a prisoner off to execution. All that was missing were the handcuffs. When the trio turned down the hallway that led to the entrance, they were surprised to see that it wasn't empty. It was crowded to the limit with a mix wrestlers and divas. CM Punk, Miz, AJ, R Truth, Santino, Cody Rhodes, Goldust, Kaitlyn, Natalya, Eva Marie, JoJo, 3MB, Big E. Langston, Ryback...even Vickie and Brad Maddox were there with several other wrestlers and divas Brie had never thought would join her cause. They all stared at her with similar looks of pride and respect. She felt the grin light up her face. Besides her sister, there was one other person missing whom she wished she could see.

Then he appeared, as if in answer to her thoughts, pushing his way through the crowded hallway to get to her. He still looked pretty banged up, but the smile on his face made any thought of his condition go away. He wrapped her in a tight embrace and kissed her fiercely. She melted into it. "I'm proud of you Brie. You stayed strong, just like I said." Daniel whispered in her ear. Then he pulled away, looking at her with a new light in his blue eyes. "We're all behind you. No matter what happens next, this will end tonight."

Brie stared at him in amazement before smiling. "I hope so, and hopefully for the best."

"Yeah, yeah, enough with the mushy stuff." cut in Dean, sneering in disgust. "I hope you all realize that this could cost you your jobs."

"He can't fire all of us!" called Punk from the back. "Then there goes his precious business." Everyone made sounds of agreement.

"Yeah, whatever. Let's go." Dean muttered. They both took one of Brie's arms and started pushing through the crowd, shouting at them to get back. The bodies parted easily enough. People shouted words of encouragement to her as she stood before the entrance. From what she could hear outside, Stephanie was coming to the end of a speech and the WWE Universe wasn't being very cooperative. She bit back a chuckle. Apparently it wasn't just the locker room that would have her back.

Triple H's voice was thunderous when he spoke. "Big Show knocked me out and Daniel Bryan stood over me chanting yes...the audience chanted yes...THE WHOLE WORLD CHANTED YES!" The audience chanted yes in response and Brie couldn't help laughing. She peeked out a little and saw Triple H turn to Stephanie and say incredulously, "Look at this. We're doing these things for them and they're making us out to be the villains." He turned back to face the audience then and it was as if his mask of goodness and fairness slipped away, morphing into a look of sinister rage. When he spoke again, his voice was low and dangerous. "You want me to be the bad guy? Fine, I'll be the bad guy. Anyone in the locker room who defies my authority will have to beg to keep their job, anyone who ever thought the word yes will have to start praying..."

Brie took this as her cue to go out. Glancing at Daniel one last time to catch his nod of approval, she moved, ignoring Dean and Seth's hisses for her to come back. She made sure to grab a microphone on the way out. As this was unexpected, her music didn't play, so she let her voice announce her entrance. "So the king finally drops the nice act, does he?"

The couple looked at her as she approached the ring and stopped halfway down the ramp, staring them both down. Triple H looked furious, once again taking on the look of a bull about to charge, and Stephenie looked exasperated, staring daggers at the lone diva. "I didn't call for you to come out here, Bella." growled Triple H into the microphone. "If Kharma didn't make the point clear enough for you last night, then allow me to do so: You're on thin ice. You, your sister, Daniel Bryan...I could put all of you in the unemployment line."

She should have been shaken by that last statement, but the thought all the WWE superstars and divas who stood just backstage, ready to support her, bolstered her confidence ten-fold. At this point, nothing he said could bother her. She simply smirked at the COO and said, "All of us, huh? That's a broad statement, don't you think? It could mean just the three of us...or the thirty of us here who just can't take your crap anymore." She enjoyed the couple's similar looks of bewilderment, which gave way to surprise when the theme song for Monday Night RAW began to play. Brie didn't have to look behind her to know that at that moment, tons of WWE superstars and divas were flooding the stage. A hand fell on her shoulder and she glanced back to see Daniel, smiling broadly at her. When the music stopped and she'd looked back to see everyone who was behind her, literally and figuratively, she put the microphone to her lips and said, "So what will you do now, boss man? You can't fire all of us without destroying the business you love so much."

Triple H looked shocked beyond words. All he could do was stand there, mouth agape, microphone held halfway to it, as if he meant to say something, but wasn't sure what. Stephanie was less affected by the rebellion, however. She stepped forward. "You think this little show of yours will change anything? Well I'm not impressed." She met the eyes of everyone there. "You can't all be so cavalier about losing your jobs. I know for a fact that some of you have it even worse than Big Show did and look what happened to him. You want the same fate? If you all hate it here that much, why don't you just quit? Otherwise, there's nothing that'll change around here." Seconds after saying that, Stephanie pursed her lips, seeming to grasp what she just said, but it was too late to take it back.

Brie was startled when CM Punk came forward, pulled her microphone to his mouth and said, "Well, that settles it. You'll find my resignation on your desk. I'll come back when things change." With that, he let go, turned to the superstars behind him, as well as the WWE Universe, and waved goodbye before disappearing backstage. Brie was shocked. This wasn't what she'd wanted. But as Triple H and Stephanie watched with faces like stone as more and more wrestlers made similar declarations and walked out, she began to see that it was probably the only way. Soon, the only ones out there were her and Daniel Bryan. He took the mic gently from her hands and said simply, "Since I'm obviously not championship material to you, I suppose I'll quit too." He handed the mic back to Brie, kissed her head, and said quietly, "It's down to you now sweetie." Then he disappeared backstage like the others. It was silent except for the white noise of the audience.

Finally, Brie smiled coldly and said, "I...quit." She dropped the microphone like it was one of CM Punk's pipe bombs and turned her back to the couple frozen in the ring, the feeling of triumph washing over her.

* * *

A week passed before a decision went out over the internet, via email from Stephanie: They were backing off. If the wrestlers and divas would come back to WWE, they would no longer make themselves a presence there. All decisions and authority would go back to the general managers. Meanwhile, Triple H and Stephanie would keep themselves holed up in the WWE corporate building, only coming on the show when necessary, which wouldn't be often. Even the Big Show was allowed back and the three members of Shield were temporarily suspended. Daniel Bryan would have a match against Randy for the title that wouldn't be tampered with. It would be fair.

After reading the news on her laptop, Brie sat back on the couch with a satisfied sigh. _It's finally over. _She thought, stretching. Daniel came in then, a mug of steaming tea in each hand. She accepted her's gratefully as he sat down next to her on the couch. He scanned quickly through the email and smiled. "You did good, Brie. Really good."

"Stop it. I only did what I had to. Everyone else did the rest. It wasn't me who thought of quitting." She was thoughtful for moment. "Actually, I was thinking it would be more of an all-out fight."

Daniel chuckled. "Yeah, that might've been exciting, but who needs the drama?"

"Very true." she conceded with a short laugh, closing her laptop and putting it down on the coffee table in front of her. They sat quietly for a while, sipping their tea, just enjoying the moment. Then Daniel abruptly put his cup down and turned to her, a look of excited anticipation lighting up his blue eyes.

"Brie, I realize that, with all the chaos and trouble going on at work, I never got to ask you properly to marry me, did I?"

"Well, no I guess not..." Brie replied uncertainly, thinking of how he'd just thrown it out there when he was lying, seriously injured by Randy's chair, in the hospital. _Brie, when this is all over, I want to get married. _She'd only nodded, her mind too clouded with worry to seriously think about it.

Now he slid off the couch and onto one knee, a small, black velvet case in his hand. Brie blinked, her mouth falling open in shock. He gently tipped open the lid with his fingers to reveal the glinting white diamond that seemed to wink up at her. "Daniel..." she said breathlessly, her eyes tearing from the unbelievable jewel to meet his earnest gaze.

"Brianna Bella, will you marry me?"

There were so many things she wanted to say, gooey romantic speeches half-forming in her mind, but the only word she really could say was, "Yes." Tears of happiness and relief welled up and rolled down her cheeks as she leaned forward to wrap her arms around his neck. She felt her butt slide off the couch and he caught her in his strong arms which wrapped securely around her waist. "Yes...yes.." she repeated continuously while sobbing into his shoulder. They stayed like that for a long time, kneeling on the carpeted floor, wrapped up in each other.

Things could only get better after this.

* * *

_Questions? Comments? Complaints? Please review and let me know! _


	7. Chapter 7-epilogue

_Here's the epilogue I promised, and that wraps up this story. Hope everyone likes it. I'm thinking about a possible sequel, focusing more on Randy/Brie. Please review and let me know what you think about that._

* * *

Chapter 7  
Epilogue

Brie stood before the full-length mirror while Nikki did her hair for her. Her long white dress cascaded down from her torso and hugged tightly around her middle. It glistened in the early morning sunlight. "There." said Nikki, stepping back to look at her handy work. "You look amazing sis."

"Thanks." Brie replied, smiling. There was a knock at the door. "Who is it?" Brie called. If it was Daniel, they would have to barricade the door.

"It's me." said a quiet, chillingly familiar voice. Nikki's eyes narrowed at the door.

"You want me to get rid of him?" she asked. Brie thought for a moment, then shook her head.

"No, let him come in. I guess he has something to say." _But what else is there? _Nikki looked at her sister in confusion for a moment before deciding it best not to question or speculate further. She strode to the door and pulled it open. Randy stood there, fully dressed in a black button down shirt and black dress pants. The look suited him. He glanced at Nikki briefly before turning to Brie.

"Can I talk to you alone for a minute?"

"I'm sorry Randy, but I'm getting married shortly, if you didn't notice." Brie replied, gesturing to her white dress-clad self.

He nodded, looking her up and down appreciatively. "It won't take long." Nikki glowered at him.

"If you have anything to say to her, you can say it in front of me."

"Actually, Nikki, can you just wait outside for a moment?" Nikki threw her a disbelieving look, to which Brie explained, "I'm just curious about what he has to say."

Nikki stared at her for a long moment, then nodded. "Fine." She turned a glare on Randy, who regarded her cooly. "You better not try anything, or I promise you'll regret it." He didn't respond and she headed out the door, shutting it a bit harder than necessary behind her.

Left alone, Brie eyed the tall man with suspicion, folding her arms across her chest. "So?" she asked simply, as he didn't speak right away. His words replayed in her head. Words from a time when he seemed like the most dangerous man in the world to her. _He won't be able to walk down the aisle. _"If you're here to hurt Daniel, or blackmail me into doing something, like cancel the wedding, you can forget that right now because I will hurt you..."

"I promise, I'm not here to do anything like that. I just have one question." He paused and Brie raised an eyebrow, waiting. Finally, he said, "Was there ever time when you felt something for me, during that entire ordeal?" Brie pursed her lips, contemplating. Though she didn't like to admit it, there was something there, in her heart, that saw beneath his evil, malicious nature and loved him for it. She'd never told anyone, not even Nikki and certainly not Daniel. Heck, she never even let herself acknowledge it until now. However, it was a very small part of her heart that was overshadowed by her love for Daniel, and hatred for the man who'd hurt him so badly in the past.

Now, she allowed herself to admit it. "Yes. There was, and honestly still is. But it's been too long and you are far, far too late." Her last few words felt unintentionally like daggers leaving her mouth. "Sorry." she added at the end, only half-sincerely. He didn't look at all phased, but only nodded.

"Yeah, I thought it was something like that." Then he smiled his old, apex predator smile at her and she felt a slight tremble run through her, but didn't let it show. "Guess I'll see you around Brie." Brie didn't answer as he opened the door and disappeared into the corridor. Though Triple H and Stephanie's tyranny was finally over, she got the feeling that whatever was going on with her and Randy was far from it.

And that scared her more than anything else had.

* * *

The piano played the familiar wedding march and Brie stepped confidently into the large room. Sunlight streamed through beautiful stained glass windows and people were on their feet, smiling serenely at her approach down the aisle. A majority of the people attending were WWE Superstars and Divas, who now looked at her with more respect than they'd ever shown a diva before. Her hand rested in the crook of her father's arm as he led her slowly down the aisle. It all felt perfect and the sight of Daniel's smiling face at the end of the aisle made it even better. Once her hand was placed in his, all her worries about Randy Orton vanished, for the moment. They said their vows, exchanged rings, and kissed in front of an audience that burst into applause at the sight. It was the happiest moment of her life.

* * *

_The end...or is it? There may or may not be a sequel to this. I'm still thinking about it. Review please!_


	8. Author's Note

Author's Note

Hi people! _This_ is the final chapter for this story. Just wanted everyone to know that there is now a sequel to it. :D I just posted it. It is called _A Diva's Heart_. I would've continued it with this story, but it seems like it should be separate. Brie's problem with authority is over, but now she's got more personal problems to deal with, like a diva who still wants revenge on the Bella twins and, more importantly, a stalking Apex Predator who could jeopardize her marriage! If you're interested, please read and review! Thank you! You're all awesome, by-the-way. :)

Sincerely, ImmortalHeartofFlame


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